Surgery for women with endometrioma prior to IVF
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Surgery for women with endometrioma prior to IVF- Assessing the feasibility of a multicentre randomised trial in UK
IRAS ID
245259
Contact name
Abha Maheshwari
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Grampian
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 6 days
Research summary
Endometriosis affects up to 1 in 10 women of reproductive age (~176 million women worldwide). It is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb is found in other parts of the body. In 17-44% of affected women it can cause a cyst in the ovary called an endometrioma. In addition to symptoms of pain, 30-40% of women with endometriosis can experience infertility and may require treatment by in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). \nGynaecologists have traditionally removed endometriomas to improve women’s chances of pregnancy. More recently, experts have questioned this approach and shown that operating on the ovary could reduce the number of eggs within it. As IVF treatment ideally requires several eggs to be fertilised outside the body, this could affect the success of IVF. There is now uncertainty amongst doctors about how to advise women on the best way of dealing with endometriomas before starting IVF. \nThere is therefore a need for a study involving a large number of women to answer the question: “Should an endometrioma be operated on, or left untreated, prior to IVF“. We propose to assess the feasibility of such a study.\n
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
18/NS/0072
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jul 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion